Thread: Starting to build up the intrigue, finally

Thanks! Heads should be done early next week. This Sunday the front bumper cover will be coming off so I can mount the FMHE and trans cooler.

Got the heads back from the machine shop this past Saturday. I think he did a good job. Since the main concern with porting heads is always the exhaust I went a slightly different route and had him open the sides all the way to the gasket, kept the floor the same, and opened the roof almost all the way. Now they are basically a D-shape. I think these should flow nice. No flow bench to verify but we'll see how she does on the dyno once put together.

L32 heads: decked the surface for flatness, 3-angle valve job, tank, paint, check for cracks, replaced two valve seats (found 1 crack in between the stock intake/exhaust valve seats), gasket match port job on the intake runners, ported the exhaust. Kept the combustion chambers and bowls stock. I didn't feel the need to 1) pay someone 400-500 extra to do the work 2) too lazy to spend the 20+ hrs to do it myself. It's just the daily beater lol.

- stock valves
- milled for .650" clearance
- crow cams 130lb springs
- comp cams titanium retainers
- comp cams valve locks
- ported intake, exhaust, valve job
Scribed the stock head with exhaust manifold gasket:



After porting:



More pictures:



Finished head vs. stock head











Not as much done on the intake side as I'd like, but, its smooth all the way in, just not opened up as much as I was hoping for...

Those look really nice!

Installed the heads last night, plan on wrenching more tonight. Will update later with more pictures.

I was there..this actually happened!

Bill you need a webcam in your garage...so I can watch you.

Thanks Dan!

Here is my update as promised lol. Actually did pretty good tonight. Bill and Swiggles were supervising, with beers in hand

With installing the heads last night, tonight I:

- cleaned, prepped, and painted my valve covers a gloss wrinkle black (VHT paint from Advance Auto for those wondering)
- cleaned LIM
- installed stock L32 lifters (only 55k miles)
- installed LIM gaskets and LIM (not sure if you notice, but its been ported and the whole inside of the LIM is smoothed and polished)
- installed INTENSE oil restricted chrome moly pushrods (7.3" length specifically for the Yella Terra rockers)
- installed Yella Terra 1.8 Rockers

I put the valve covers on just to snap some pictures, but, they'll need to dry thoroughly before I put the grommets in and install them. When I came home, I also got my polished/billet belt wrap kit. It'll look nice under the hood.

Anyways, here are some pictures:










Some pictures with the valve covers






Someone dropped by tonight... had to snap some pictures for Swiggles

Damn it...Bill you didn't tell me there was a party last night.

Looks good Max!

Just an FYI, the belt kits don't usually work with the Bonnie bracket if you are going that route. I ended up using a bigger idler pulley on the Bonnie bracket for more wrap, I believe it was from a dodge ram.

If you're referring to the turbo car, its not mine.... my motor is not running yet.

Originally Posted by Swiggles

Just an FYI, the belt kits don't usually work with the Bonnie bracket if you are going that route. I ended up using a bigger idler pulley on the Bonnie bracket for more wrap, I believe it was from a dodge ram.

I'm using the stock cast iron coil pack bracket with a Smoothflow Belt Wrap Kit.

The turbo motor in the pic is mine, it's running great btw, just need max to tune it

Ok good I really like the smooth flow kit. If your interested I have some 8rib mps pulleys from him too. I don't think I have the hub still but ill check.

Thanks Swiggs but I have all the pullies I'll need: a 2.9" to dial her in and a 2.7" if the dyno tells me she can handle more boost lol.

Swiggs...wanna race my Saab :LOL:

When is the motor going in? I want to come down for that!

Originally Posted by Drunkie

When is the motor going in? I want to come down for that!

At the rate I'm going, I think the motor will be complete (minus IC and Supercharger, will wait until its in the car for that stuff) this week so then I can put the transmission on the stand to begin its teardown. I'd like to shoot for Thanksgiving weekend (if Bill is around and willing ). I have that Thursday-Sunday off, and may take a couple more days off if all works out.

It really boils down to me wanting to put the G8 away for the winter asap, so I'm going to do my best to hold to that time lol. I don't want to get stuck or expose the G8 in any kind of salt/snowy weather.

Originally Posted by Drunkie

Damn it...Bill you didn't tell me there was a party last night.!

Would have let you know.. You had already bitached out on the meet we were going to ....

Originally Posted by Drunkie

When is the motor going in? I want to come down for that!

See above..is your Saab going to be running? lol

Bill and I made some progress tonight. Aside from cleaning up/organizing the garage a bit, we:

- installed valve covers for good
- installed ZZP machined oil pump cover
- cleaned/installed front cover (swapping my Meziere EWP once the old motor is out of the intrigue)
- installed crank pulley, cover, and harness
- cleaned exhaust manifold gasket surface (was painted)
- took motor off the stand and placed in the corner. It's at the point where its ready to be dropped in. All the accessories and top-end will go on once in the car
- placed transmission on the stand, ready to begin teardown (hopefully Friday night)

I think I could swing the Friday night; come down after Thanksgiving leave Sunday afternoon